A Father's Love
by The Outlaw Witch
Summary: Charming follows Emma to the Sheriff's station from Granny's only for them to have a conversation neither of them thought they would ever have. OSO.


Emma had gone to Granny's with everyone but while she was there, she had to go to the Sheriff's station. "I need to go to the station," she had whispered to Snow.

Snow knowing her well enough had nodded. "Don't stay away to long," she told her.

"I won't," Emma assured her mother. "I won't ever stay away long." She took her hand and squeezed a moment before letting go. She slipped quietly through the crowd, evaded anyone who wanted a hug or to chat with her, and then walked out the door.

* * *

Charming watched his daughter. "Where is she going?" he asked.

"The station," Snow answered.

"Why?" he asked.

Snow looked at him a moment and then remembered he didn't know. "Before Emma was sheriff, who was sheriff?" she asked him.

"Graham," Charming answered.

"And who was he in our land?" Snow asked.

"The Huntsman," Charming replied. "The one who spared you and helped me escape, but what does he have to do with..." It dawned on him them.

Snow saw the moment he understood. "Everything," she answered anyway.

"Oh," was the best response Charming could come up with.

Snow smiled at him.

"Are you telling me that our daughter fell for him?" Charming asked her.

"I don't think it was one sided, Charming," Snow replied. Emma hadn't told her the details, but she could speculate on both Emma's and Graham's feelings for each other.

Charming stood from his chair. "I'll go see how she's doing," he said, leaned down to kiss her, and whispered in her ear, "I won't stay away long."

"No, you won't," Snow agreed.

Charming slipped through the crowd though not as easily as Emma, but he was able to leave Granny's. He walked to the station and he found it unlocked when he knew he had locked it the last time he had left. He walked down the hallway and watched Emma unlocking the bottom drawer to the sheriff's desk.

Emma took out what had to be Graham's jacket. She lifted it to her face and sniffed.

Charming watched his heartbroken daughter. He knew that this what someone looks like when they lose someone they love. "Emma," he said quietly but loud enough for her to him.

"Hi," she said. "Did you need something from the station?"

Charming shook his head. "No," he said. "I came to check on you; your mom told me." He slowly walked around. He took the jacket from her and laid it on the desk. He did the only thing he could think of he wrapped his arms around her.

Emma pushed him away, but he wouldn't let go. Then finally the dam broke and she started crying. She wrapped her arms around him as it started spilling out of her. "I still miss him," she told him. "Every day I miss him, and it doesn't lessen like it's supposed to. They say time heals all wounds, but it doesn't seem like it's true. I miss him more and more everyday. I keep trying to throw his jacket out-his favorite jacket out, but I just can't do it." She looked up at him. "What am I supposed to do?"

Since it seemed like her tears had subsided, Charming sat Emma in the chair. "You've read Henry's book, right?" Charming asked. He knew Henry still brought that book around everywhere still distinguishing who's who which meant Charming had plenty of time to go through it himself.

"Of course," Emma replied. "Are you telling me Graham's in that book too?"

Charming gave her small smile. "He had a big part in making sure you were born, Emma," he said.

"I don't understand," Emma replied.

"He spared your mother's life when he was supposed to kill her, and then when Regina had me, he had helped me escape instead of taking me to the queen," Charming replied.

Realization dawned in Emma's eyes. "The Huntsman," she said.

"That he was," Charming answered.

"He had died of cardiac arrest," she said, "but he kept telling me that he had to find his heart." She stood up and paced the office. "Regina."

Charming stared at his daughter. "Emma?" he asked.

"Regina killed Graham," Emma replied. "How could I not see this? It was right in front of me with Cora and Hook stealing Aurora's heart."

"Whoa," Charming replied. "You think Regina stole Graham's heart?" Then as he thought back to the day Graham had helped him escape. To what Graham had said. 'I gave up my heart so Snow could keep hers.'

"I can't arrest her," Emma told him. "All I have is a theory."

"All you have to do is prove it," Charming replied.

Emma looked up at Charming. "Don't tell anyone, Dad," she said. "I don't want to spread mass hysteria throughout Storybrooke, and we both know that's exactly what she would do."

"Fine," Charming replied. He passed her her Sheriff's badge back to her. "I believe this belongs to you."

Emma stared at it. "You did a good job keeping this town straight," she told him. "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure," he said.

"There is some money leftover that I can hire a deputy," Emma replied. "You interested?"

Charming smiled. "Always," he said. "Let's go back to Granny's to were the party is."

Emma nodded as she put the jacket back in the bottom drawer of her desk. She locked it, went around the desk, and went into her father's arms. They walked out together knowing that they, with Snow and Henry, would always be a unit.


End file.
